If you’re going to do the French Riviera, do it the way we did: split the week between two bases and eat your way through everything in between. We spent three nights in St-Jean-Cap-Ferrat and three in Cannes, with day trips to Èze, Monaco, Villefranche, and Antibes folded in. It was September 2021, the light was perfect, and I still think about some of these meals.
Here’s the week, more or less in order — and I’d do it exactly this way again.
Day 1: land, Old Nice, and dinner on a diving board
Our flight landed at 10am, and we were at the hotel by noon — early enough to have a proper first day even before check-in. That evening we headed into Old Nice for dinner at Le Plongeoir, and it set the tone for the whole trip.
Le Plongeoir sits on an elevated diving platform out in the water (that’s what the name means), with a view straight out over the Mediterranean. We had a 7:15 reservation and sunset was at 7:50, which — trust me — is the move. There’s also a lounge if you just want to go for a drink, but we went for the full dinner: octopus and seared tuna appetizers, and the sea bass special. All delicious, and the sunset did not disappoint.
Day 2: St-Jean-Cap-Ferrat and dinner in Villefranche
We kept things local on our first full day — exploring the Cap-Ferrat peninsula and doing lunch at Paloma Beach, the beach restaurant where everyone seems to arrive by yacht for lunch. The people-watching is half the fun. We had the pesto pasta, shrimp with homemade mayo (sounds weird, I promise it was really good), and strawberries with sugar for dessert. Yum.
We didn’t make it to Anjuna beach, and we tried to do lunch at the Four Seasons but access was restricted due to Covid — I only mention it because I’ve heard Club Dauphin there is great, so it’s on the list for next time.
Dinner was at Les Garçons in Villefranche, and I mean this: it was one of our favorite meals in all of France. Cool outdoor vibe right in the middle of the town, and everything we had was incredible — octopus (best ever), braised lamb, scallop risotto, and vanilla berry pavlova. Book this one.
Day 3: Èze, Monaco, and a three-star dinner in Menton
Morning: Èze, the little hilltop village. Climb up to the exotic gardens for the best views — that’s the whole point of Èze, and it’s worth the climb.
Early evening, we drove over to Monaco. It’s very cool to walk around — check out the Casino, roam the streets, and do some hilarious people-watching because everyone there is filthy rich. It doesn’t take too long to see, maybe an hour or so, and you’ll leave wishing you had hundreds of millions of dollars. (We did.)
Then the main event: an 8:15 dinner at Mirazur in Menton. This place won #1 restaurant in the world in 2019 and holds three stars, and it earned every bit of it. They run four rotating menus based on seasonality and time of week, so check the calendar before you book — we did the flower experience, but I’m sure they’re all amazing. The food, the wine, the service — all amazing, obviously.
Menton itself is a small beach town. Honestly, I wouldn’t go out of my way for it on its own — but it’s a fun little stroll if you’re already there for Mirazur.
Day 4: Villa Rothschild, then off to Cannes
Our last Cap-Ferrat morning started early: Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild, the grand pink villa up on the peninsula. It’s pretty cool and kind of a must-do if you’re there — I loved the various gardens, each one completely different.
Then we checked out and moved to Cannes for the second half of the week. That night’s dinner was Table 22, on the far side of Cannes from our hotel — about a 25-minute walk — but definitely worth it. Low key, great food: lobster ravioli, rack of lamb, and chocolate and caramel pavlova. Yum.
Day 5: Antibes
Go to Antibes for the day! It’s fun to walk around, we stopped into the Picasso Museum, and the move for lunch is to grab a baguette with ham and cheese and go sit by the water. Jambon beurre. Delish.
Dinner was Les Canailles, a little bistro we stumbled across. Very low key and awesome food — it had our favorite escargot and foie gras of the entire trip. We also got beef tartare, which was great, and a raspberry tart for dessert.
Day 6: beach day
Our last full day was a proper beach day — Plage du Midi is about a 30-minute walk if you’re ambitious, or you can use the hotel’s beach access (for a fee, which made me laugh, but that’s Cannes). Lunch at the hotel, and dinner at Bobo Bistro: great salami pizza and linguine with clams. Since you’re so close to Italy, the Italian restaurants are genuinely great here — lean into it.
Getting around
Uber is probably the best way to get around, honestly. There’s also a train that goes from town to town if you’re up for a walk.
Where I stayed
Hotel Royal Riviera (St-Jean-Cap-Ferrat) — we thought it was great. Easy access to visit other towns, but also plenty to explore on the peninsula itself. Perfect first-half base.
Hôtel Martinez (Cannes) — loved it. Beach access comes with a fee (eye-roll, but fine), and we got upgraded to a beach-view room with a bottle of rosé waiting at check-in. Yes please.
From the Riviera, we hopped the morning train to Paris — next up: where to eat in Paris.
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